Who Is the Suspect Charged With Murder in NYPD Cop's Death?

The suspect, Christopher Ransom, never fired a shot, but he is charged with murder. Jonathan Dienst reports. (Published Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019)

NYPD service members fired a total of 42 rounds in 11 seconds at the scene of a robbery where a police officer was killed by friendly fire, officials said.

Det. Brian Simonsen, 42, was shot and killed by friendly fire as officers confronted a cellphone store robbery suspect who turned out to be armed with a replica handgun. Simonsen was a 19-year veteran.

The suspect, 27-year-old Christopher Ransom, was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder, second-degree aggravated manslaughter, robbery, assault and menacing. It's not clear if he has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

At a press conference Wednesday, NYPD Force Investigation Division Deputy Chief Kevin Maloney said Simonsen was hit once in the chest by friendly fire.

Simonsen didn't have his bulletproof vest on when he was hit, Maloney noted.

Simonsen and his sergeant, Matthew Gorman, were working on an unrelated case in the area when police received a 911 call from a witness who said a man had put a mask on and entered a T-Mobile store at Atlantic Avenue and 120th Street in Richmond Hill with a firearm, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said at the press conference.

The two responded to the store with six uniformed NYPD officers, according to Monahan. When they arrived at the scene, a man later identified by police as Ransom pointed what looked like a gun at the officers and ran in their direction, Monahan said.

"This was his life — he loved the 102nd," he said. "Everyone knew Brian was the cop that you reached out to if there was a problem."

A wake for Simonsen is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday, Feb. 19 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Saint Rosalie Roman Catholic Church in Hampton Bays. The funeral will be held at the same church on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m.